MP Anwar al-Khalil, a member of Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri's AMAL Movement, revealed on Friday that Berri is not going to participate in Beirut’s Economic and Social Development Summit.

In remarks he made to VDL radio (93.3), Khalil said the Speaker will not attend the summit: “Several state leaders have apologized for not being able to attend the summit, which is going to affect the attendance quality. The reasons are many, but the most important reason is that Lebanon still has no government.”

The Lebanese Army on Thursday announced the arrest of a man who became the subject of sensational media reports for several days after he crossed the border from Israel into Lebanon in mysterious circumstances.

“After continuous search operations by the army, a patrol from the Intelligence Directorate managed today to arrest the U.S. citizen Colin Emery after finding him hiding in one of Tyre's neighborhoods,” the army said in a statement.

Arab League chief Ahmed Abul Gheit on Thursday expressed his “deep admiration” of the efforts that Lebanon has exerted to organize an Arab economic summit that kicks off Friday in Beirut, following controversy over the participation of some Arab countries in it.

Abul Gheit was speaking after talks with President Michel Aoun in Baabda.

Marada Movement chief ex-MP Suleiman Franjieh reiterated Thursday his rejection of granting President Michel Aoun and the Free Patriotic Movement 11 ministers in the new government, or what constitutes a so-called one-third-plus-one veto power.

“Hizbullah is clinging to the representation of the Consultative Gathering in the government and will not back down,” Franjieh tweeted.